Race Analysis
Discover insights from the race
23 December 2025
The 12 Awards of Christmas 2025
Let's reflect one final time on the great Christmas advertising we have seen this year. What did we learn from the 2025 Christmas advertising campaigns? And, what are the keys to success when developing great Christmas advertising? At Ipsos we tracked the entire race to Christmas from the very beginning. Now it's time to find out which brands stood out this year and who won the race!
22 December 2025
Why 2025 is a vintage year for Christmas Marketing
You may have thought it, seen your family bopping along and wondered if this years Christmas advertising and marketing more broadly has been a cut above previous years. The Ipsos Race to Christmas data shows you would have been right. Discover Samira Brophy's, Senior Director Creative Excellence, take on why 2025 has been a vintage year for Christmas advertising.
19 December 2025
Santa’s New Helper? AI’s Growing Role in the Christmas Gifting Journey
Much has been talked about shifts in the search ecosystem this year, with AI poised to change the game. But how much have AI summaries, assistants and chatbots played a role in everyday purchase decisions, and which target audiences are seeing the biggest shifts?
17 December 2025
The Changing Landscape of Food Advertising
Millions of marketing pounds are spent every year by supermarkets and food businesses trying to convince you that they are the only choice for this years all important Christmas food purchases. Spare a thought then for marketers in the UK this Christmas, who have had the unenviable task of trying to convince you of all this, while being able to show less food in their advertising that ever before.
15 December 2025
Waitrose Remains Favourite Ad in Week 5 of the Race
Week 5 results of the race are in, and not only have Waitrose retained the title of favourite ad, they are also coming in on top for ad recognition, alongside winning the Great Christmas Food Showdown. With one round of the race left to go there's still all to play for. Discover race insights, as well as consumer spending sentiment and more in this week's article.
12 December 2025
The Great Christmas Food Showdown
Black Friday is done and dusted, and with barely time to catch a breath we’re into the Christmas run up. Thoughts are definitely turning to the big day itself, and the important question of what to put on the festive table is very much top of mind. We’ve hand picked a select list of items available in the 10 major Supermarkets and put all 40 items in front of a representative sample of UK consumers to see which triumph in a football tournament style survey.
05 December 2025
Waitrose Overtakes John Lewis as the Nation's Favourite Christmas Ad
Over the last few weeks, we’ve talked at length about the most recognised ad of the festive season. This week Waitrose has risen up the ranks, taking first spot with a massive 54% of respondents recognising the ad. However, not only are they the most recognised, they are now the nation's favourite ad, overtaking John Lewis who have held the title for the last two weeks.
01 December 2025
Aldi's Part 2 Ad Tops the Recognition Board in Week 3 of the Race
Our week 3 results are in and the Christmas buzz is building with half of the British public feeling festive (51%). It was also the lead up to Black Friday, where nearly every retailer was shouting about their incredible deals and offers. So, not only are Christmas ads fighting to break through amongst each other, but they also need to cut through all the Black Friday activity. Let's see who managed to stand out...
24 November 2025
Sainsbury's Christmas Ad the Most Recognised in Week 2 of the Race
The most recognised Christmas advert in the second week of the race was Sainsbury’s which was recognised by 50% of the audience, an impressive 14% increase week on week. Sainsbury’s have re-visited the BFG this year, telling a story about a disruptive guest whose efforts to ruin Christmas are thwarted by the combination of the beloved children’s character and a lucky Sainsbury’s employee. Discover more race results here...
17 November 2025
John Lewis Emerges as an Early Favourite in Week 1 of the Race to Christmas
The Christmas ad line-up for 2025 is truly stacked with the familiar runners and riders being joined by some new contenders this year. Aldi won the grand prize last year, but aan they make it two years in a row? At this early stage in the race you may not be surprised to discover that the nation’s favourite ad so far has come from John Lewis, with 22% of people who have seen a Christmas ad spontaneously mentioning it as their favourite.
03 November 2025
Tis' the Season for Ipsos' Race to Christmas
It might still be early days but Christmas is certainly just around the corner. And, after debuting last year, we’re back again to track, monitor and analyse all the festive campaigns of the major supermarkets and retailers, looking at what’s truly driving impact at Christmas. Discover what early insights we already have to share.
31 December 2024
Ipsos Presents: The 12 Awards of Christmas 2024
What did we learn from the 2024 Christmas advertising campaigns, and what are the keys to success when developing great Christmas advertising? In 2024, we tracked the entire race to Christmas from the very beginning. Discover which brands stood out and who won the race!
16 December 2024
From Cheers to Controversy: How 2024's Christmas Ads Stole the Spotlight
Advertisements and festive campaigns play a huge part in the run up to Christmas, evoking feelings of nostalgia and sentimentality. But, which brand triggered the highest volume of online mentions?
02 December 2024
Unwrapping Financial Realities at Christmas
While the holiday season brings joy to many, financial challenges, especially during periods of economic instability, can affect numerous households. So, how is this impacting spending habits and what role do brands play in providing empathy?
18 November 2024
The 2024 Festive Food Face-Off
We scoured the ranges of 10 major UK supermarkets to uncover 40 festive food innovations and pitted them against each other in a titanic World Cup type tournament to see which are the most eagerly anticipated by the hungry hordes.
28 October 2024
Mince Pies in October? Inside Britain's Early Christmas Obsession
Every year, those festive treats seem to appear earlier and earlier, sparking a national debate: is it ever too early for Christmas cheer to be exploding from supermarket shelves?
